Brushing Up on Brushing

Who needs to be advised on how to brush their teeth? More of us than you might think. Seven suggestions on the right way to clean your teeth.

Toothbrushing may be the most ingrained of all health habits. We take a toothbrush with us when we travel. Most people can't imagine getting through a day without brushing at least once and probably twice. And there's apparently enough money in it to make expensive advertising campaigns worthwhile. Imagine if other health habits—exercise, eating whole grains, getting enough sleep—had the ad budgets of Crest or Colgate?

But just because we do something often doesn't mean we do it right—and there's lots of bad brushing going on. An inadequate job leaves behind the bacteria-laden plaque—the whitish stuff that collects in between teeth and near the gum line—that causes cavities and gum disease.

Overzealous brushing is a problem, too, scraping away tooth structure and damaging gum tissue so it loses its nice, tight grip on teeth and opens the door to infection and serious gum damage.

Here are seven tips about toothbrushing that may help you to do a better job of keeping teeth clean.

1. Brush longer than you think you need to. Studies have shown that most people claim they brush for two to three minutes when they've actually spent about half that time. A good, thorough brushing takes at least two minutes whether you are using a manual or powered toothbrush.

2. Work systematically. People often spend more time on their front teeth, and there's some lore that right-handed people neglect the right side of their mouth and left-handers the left side. Some dentists recommend dividing the mouth into quadrants and moving methodically from the upper right to the upper left to the lower right and then to the lower left. The order doesn't matter so much as being thorough.

3. Use a brush with soft bristles of varying height. Soft bristles are easier on the teeth and gums and may do a better job of cleaning between teeth. Most brushes are advertised as having soft bristles, but companies are free to define softness as they wish, so you may need to experiment a little. Toothbrushes used to be made so all bristles were the same height. Now many have bristles that vary in height. It's been shown that such a design may improve cleaning between teeth and of the sulci, the tiny pockets between the teeth and the gums.

4. Change your brush at least every three months. When the bristles splay, they're less effective. And a worn-out toothbrush is more likely to harbor oral bacteria that will get reintroduced into your mouth every time your brush. You should replace your toothbrush every three months or so.